West Sacramento man convicted of robbery

A West Sacramento man faces a maximum of 81 years to life in prison following his conviction for a pair of robberies in 2012.

A Yolo County jury convicted 53-year-old Roberto Montalvo, of West Sacramento, last Friday of four felonies and three misdemeanors arising from a pair of robberies in which Montalvo posed as a police officer in order to rob his victims.

During the trial witnesses testified that on two separate occasions during the summer of 2012, Montalvo's girlfriend, Alicia Ortega, engaged the victims by offering her services as a prostitute, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven.

"Montalvo would then arrive and flash a badge and represent himself as a police officer," Raven stated. "Montalvo and Ortega would then take the victims' money.

Ortega pleaded prior to trial to one count of robbery in exchange for a ten-year state prison sentence.

The jury took approximately three hours to convict Montalvo of robbery in the first degree, robbery in the second degree, burglary in the first degree, possession of crack cocaine, two counts of impersonating a police officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Montalvo was also found to have prior convictions for aggravated kidnapping and aggravatedrobbery from the state of Illinois.

Deputy District Attorney Jay Linden prosecuted the case and praised the jury's verdicts.

"Criminals who pose as police officers when they commit violent crimes cause emotional and physical damage to their victims and also violate the trust citizens have in those who protect them," stated Linden. "This jury sent a strong message that this type of criminal conduct will not be tolerated."

Yolo County Superior Court Judge David Reed is scheduled to sentence Montalvo at 9 a.m., Sept. 17. He is facing a maximum of 81 years to life in state prison.